The South Korean national soccer team suffered a shocking defeat to South Africa, jeopardizing their chances of advancing to the knockout stage of the World Cup. Head coach Hong Myung-bo expressed regret following the match.
In the final group stage match of Group A, South Korea lost 1-0 to South Africa at the Monterrey Stadium in Mexico on June 25 at 10 a.m. KST.
With this loss, South Korea finished the group stage with a record of one win and two losses, earning three points. Mexico secured the top spot in the group with a decisive 3-0 victory over the Czech Republic, finishing with nine points. South Africa's win allowed them to claim second place with four points (one win, one draw, one loss).
As a result, South Korea dropped to third place in the group. However, they avoided direct elimination thanks to Mexico's victory over the Czech Republic.
In a post-match interview, Hong acknowledged, "We were anxious after conceding the first goal. It was disappointing to allow an early score. Nevertheless, I believe we did our best." He also commented on the substitution of key defender Kim Min-jae in the 66th minute, stating, "He was substituted due to a calf injury."
South Korea's path to the knockout stage remains uncertain. In this tournament, which features 48 teams, the top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the round of 32. South Korea will need to monitor the results of other groups to see if they can qualify.
The outlook is not promising. Before the match against South Africa, six other third-placed teams had already secured three or more points. Notably, Paraguay (Group D), Sweden (Group F), Algeria (Group J), and Croatia (Group L) all have three points but have played one fewer match.
If teams finish with the same points in the third-place standings, rankings will be determined by goal difference, total goals scored, and fair play points. Currently, South Korea has a goal difference of -1 and has scored two goals.
Hong concluded, "The disappointing result is entirely my responsibility. I do not know what the future holds, but the accountability lies with me."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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